After doing time in a Mexican prison, the tough-as-they-come hero of Erik Storey’s Nothing Short of Dying heads straight for the Utah wilderness to refresh himself before making a trek to the Yukon... So begins a sweaty thriller by a first-time novelist who really knows how to handle himself in these thickets ...Barr heads for the Colorado backcountry, where the plot really takes off. Storey knows and loves this rugged territory.
... in Clyde Barr, Storey has come up with a lead character who displays many Jack Reacher traits ... this newbie novelist has the skill to add flesh to the bones and I soon found myself harbouring a grudging fondness for this former mercenary, ex-jailbird who has an endearing habit of helping out the underdog ... There’s more than a touch of the old fashioned Western about this book, where tough guys shoot first and ask questions later ... This is an interesting debut. There is a sense of familiarity that gave me pause, moments when I caught the shadow of plotlines and protagonists that have gone before, but there is definitely enough new ground here for a series to take root and I look forward to making Clyde Barr’s acquaintance again.
Erik Storey’s Nothing Short of Dying, however, pulls it off, and the author does so in a way that is even more impressive: with his debut. Rough men, violence, guns, shady pasts, a new love interest, and drugs are all classic elements that can be found in this narrative, but Storey uses them wisely inside a mold that is entirely his ... Storey writes secondary characters with the care and attention to detail that most authors save only for their protagonist ...manages to convey his love for wilderness without detracting from the narrative, and he does so with very readable prose that places the reader wherever the action is taking place ... his is one outstanding debut that should place Storey on many radars and that will have anyone who reads it eagerly awaiting for Barr’s next adventure.
Erik Storey bursts onto the scene in double-barrel-fashion with Nothing Short of Dying, an epic debut thriller that will leave fans breathless and hungry for more ...Storey’s protagonist is the perfect mix of Joe Pickett and Jack Reacher –– a lethal combination to be sure –– and an absolute treat to read ...it quickly proves to be a deeper, richer, and far superior story that will keep readers guessing and turning pages like a madman ... Storey is one of the hottest new authors in a genre that has badly needed an infusion of young talent.
Nothing Short of Dying is probably the best debut thriller of the year — and don’t be surprised if before long Erik Storey ranks among the giants of the thriller genre ... The nerve-wracking, nail-biting quest upon which he [Clyde Barr] then embarks brings him perilously close to dying a few times while others are not so lucky ...a roller-coaster of a read, fast-paced with surprising twists and turns, as Clyde finds himself plunging deeper and deeper into the middle of a conflict for drug distribution dominance ... This thriller takes off fast and has an ever-increasing pace. Original. Absorbing. Suspenseful. Full of action. Plausible. Realistic. A very well-written work marked by truly exceptional backstory development of characters that never impinges on the action and suspense. All this plus the author truly knows and loves Colorado’s wilderness and writes about it beautifully.
...when Child himself makes note of it, you know the book at hand has got to be pretty damn good. Such is the case with Erik Storey’s debut novel, Nothing Short of Dying ...novel follows loner Clyde Barr—adventurer, soldier and most recently an unjustly imprisoned convict—as he attempts to blend into his Utah countryside and escape the burdens of humanity. But as fate would have it, he receives a desperate call for help from his estranged sister Jen and must drop everything to come to her aid ...rugged countryside lends itself well to the story, creating a bleak, rugged landscape for Clyde to play in, like a classic Western showdown ... Storey doesn’t pull any punches with his crisp, in-your-face dialogue and vivid action, and neither does his hero.
Nothing Short of Dying injects just the right amount of adrenaline into the doldrums of the closing days of summer and gives thriller fans everywhere a new protagonist to follow ... Clyde Barr is the book’s first person narrator, a scarred but still upright former soldier on just the right side of middle age with a skill set that moves him toward rather than away from trouble. Storey doesn’t waste much time getting Clyde into the thick of things in this inaugural volume ... Comparisons between Clyde Barr and a certain fictional MP are inevitable, but while both are very capable and wandering loners, Clyde is certainly unique in his presentation ... Storey seeds his debut work with plenty of potential story material for future books ... Jump on the Clyde Barr train now; you’ll have less catching up to do later.
Victimized by their mother's abusive boyfriends—one of whom left her gruesomely dead—the siblings are still dealing with childhood horrors. Barr has spent years roaming the world's trouble spots as a mercenary and hunter. Jen has a history of drug abuse ...Barr embarks on a spree of beatings and shootings that pretty much matches his dreams... Storey is a sturdy enough storyteller who keeps the action moving and does a passable job with his rugged setting. But the dialogue is flat... Storey's first novel moves along well enough, but the way he strings together violent action scenes has a paint-by-numbers quality.
Clyde Barr, the hero of Storey’s adrenaline-fueled first novel and series launch, has returned to the States after years roaming Africa and Latin America, assisting various underdog causes. When Clyde learns that his sister, Jen, is being held by her boyfriend, Lance Alvis, a ruthless and dangerous man with a meth empire in the mountains of Colorado, he sets out to rescue her ... Storey trots out the usual action tropes—the good-hearted but damaged hero, the budding romance with a strong-willed woman, really evil bad guys, and bushels of violence. Readers will have to suspend their disbelief at Clyde’s ability to sustain horrendous injuries and continue to fight and prevail against formidable odds.
